The present invention relates generally to an aiming support apparatus, and still more particularly to an articulated, easily guidable, platform dependable device for supporting a weapon or other viewing type apparatus, for instance a camera, telescope, etc.
Many field viewing scenarios require, at a minimum, a steady, oftentimes long duration readied support of a viewing apparatus, or device incorporating a viewing apparatus. Such filed viewing scenarios that immediately come to mind, include, but are not limited to hunting, photography, videoegraphy, and astronomy. The viewing apparatus may be integral to another device (e.g., scope of a rifle, sight of a bow, view finder of a camera, etc.), or stand alone (e.g., telescope).
As is well known by practitioners of the aforementioned activities, particularly hunting, the xe2x80x9cperfect shotxe2x80x9d is sought. Inherent in this goal, is not just waiting, but waiting at the ready while supporting the viewing apparatus/weapon. In a perfect, arguably all be it less challenging world, sought after targets could cooperate by being not only stationary, but by also being predictable, to the point of absolute certainty, with regard not only to their position, but also to their entrance into a viewer""s field of vison, as if on cue (e.g., a cineamatographic environment or scenario). Instead, as is well known, the xe2x80x9ctargetxe2x80x9d typically enters with very little notice, and, in all instances, unpredictably moves about, as is the case with a deer, a boar, or the game""s leading rusher. Furthermore, there are a plurality of potential distractions typically encountered, for instance, weather or a combination of weather related conditions (e.g., heat, cold, precipitation, wind, glare, etc.), and field obstacles (e.g., ground or other cover), each of which weigh upon a viewer""s concentration and focus, thusly being a foe to alertness.
In a hunting scenario, using weapon or camera, a person either in a standing, crouching or prone position can aim a approximately 180xc2x0 horizontally and 180xc2x0 vertically, and at all points in between. Without the aid of a stabilizing device such as, for example, a conventional weapon support, a marksman may shoot within the above described parameters. However, it is known that a marksman holding a weapon in an unsupported fashion is less able to establish and maintain an accurate aim than is one who is utilizing a stabilizing device. A conventional weapon support, however, greatly restricts the spherical range of one""s shooting, and increases the time requirement of taking aim, particularly at a moving target.
Conventional weapon supports generally include a seat in combination with a table-like surface upon which the marksman rests his or her arms. The inherent disadvantage of such firearm supports is that the user remains limited or restricted in the number of adjustments he or she can make in connection with his or her aim. For example, a flat bench-type firearm support is of little assistance if the target is significantly uphill or downhill from the shooter. A further disadvantage of a conventional firearm support is that, as a general rule, such devices are not designed to be transported into the field, tending to be bulky and/or heavy, therefore effectively limiting their application to one particular prearranged area such as, for example, a shooting range.
More recent approaches to improving upon conventional weapon supports have included the inclusion of an arm, segmented or otherwise, extending from a base, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,668 (Messer), a tripod, U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,024 (Arizpe-Gilmore) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,900 (Buck), rotating seats, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,229 (Arizpe-Gilmore), a fixed seat. In the heretofore referenced approaches, a pivotable or swivelling weapon cradle is provided at a free end of the arm, which is fixed to the base, itself being capable of swivelling or rotation. Although permitting an improved degree of freedom of motion for pursuit of game, such structures are beneficially limited, lacking among other features, a common pivot axis for the shooter and the weapon. This shortcoming, in addition to others, is also evident in user attachable weapon supports (i.e., those securable to an edge of a base, for instance a seat or a platform), such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,911 (Osborne), U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,817 (Parker), U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,110 (Scarpa), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,415 (Williams). Thus, there remains a need to provide viewers with an improved aiming support apparatus which performs a resting and stabilizing function, as well as one which respondingly and ergonomically swivels in response to the pivoting torso motions of a marksman following a sighted target.
An aiming support apparatus dependable from a central portion of a shooting platform is provided. The apparatus includes an arm having a base and an extension selectively extendible from a free end of the arm base. The arm extension includes a socket adapted to receive a shooting staff. The arm base is suspended from a bracket assembly for pivot motion a pivot axis. The bracket assembly is affixable to the shooting platform so as to substantially underlay a shooter positioned thereon, the socket being swingingly positionable beyond a perimeter of the shooting platform in response to a marksman""s torso motions in furtherance of pursuit of a scoped target.
An aiming support assembly is further provided, the assembly including a shooting platform and an articulated armature assembly depending from an interior portion thereof. The armature assembly includes an extendable arm adapted at a free end thereof to receive a staff. The arm is pivotable about a pivot axis which is substantially aligned with a center of mass of a marksman positioned upon the shooting platform.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent with reference to the figures and from the following DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION. The figures are not necessarily to dimensional or geometric scale, nor do they necessarily represent structures in accurate or representative relative scale. Emphasis rather is placed upon illustrating principals of the invention in a clear manner.